Projected Pattern Mapping for Dynamic Environment Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic systems face challenges in accurately mapping and detecting changes in physical environments, particularly in dynamic settings like warehouses, where objects and robotic devices frequently move, leading to outdated maps that can cause navigation errors.
Innovation Solution
The use of fixedly posed projectors to project distinct patterns onto surfaces in the environment, combined with sensors to detect these patterns and determine their locations, allows for the creation of a map that identifies changes in pattern positions over time, enabling real-time updates and accurate navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mapping methods are used in dynamic environments, then the system can maintain a map of the environment, but the map becomes outdated quickly due to frequent movements of objects and robotic devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by projecting distinct patterns onto surfaces before objects move, creating a baseline map. When objects are later detected to have moved, the system uses the known patterns to identify changes and update the map accordingly, rather than continuously scanning the entire environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the environment for changes in pattern positions. Sensors detect the current locations of projected patterns, compare them against the stored map, and trigger map updates when discrepancies are found, ensuring the map remains synchronized with the actual environment.
2Reliability
If continuous environmental scanning is performed to maintain accurate maps, then map accuracy is improved, but system complexity and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates simplified copies of environmental features by projecting distinct patterns onto surfaces. These patterns serve as easily detectable markers that represent complex environmental structures, allowing the system to track changes through simple pattern recognition rather than complex continuous scanning.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of environmental representation from continuous 3D spatial mapping to discrete pattern position tracking. By monitoring the locations of projected patterns rather than continuously scanning all environmental features, the system reduces computational complexity while maintaining adequate map accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If projected patterns are used to track environmental changes, then detection accuracy is improved, but the cost of additional projectors and sensors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves multi-functionality by using projectors to both illuminate the environment for robotic navigation and simultaneously project distinct patterns for change detection. The same sensors used for primary navigation tasks also detect pattern positions, eliminating the need for separate dedicated detection hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The projected patterns serve dual purposes: they provide visual markers for change detection while also serving as the illumination source for the environment. The system uses its own projected patterns as the detection targets, eliminating the need for separate markers or additional sensing infrastructure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method provides a robust and cost-effective solution for maintaining accurate environmental maps, enabling robotic systems to adapt to changes and improve navigation and object manipulation tasks in dynamic environments.
Implementation Method 1
causing a plurality of projectors that are fixedly posed in an environment to each provide, onto a respective area of the environment, a predetermined respective distinct pattern
Implementation Method 2
determined poses (i.e., positions and orientations) of the projectors, the system may determine a map that identifies respective locations on various surfaces in the environment on which the distinct patterns are detectable
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for using projected patterns to facilitate mapping of an environment are provided herein. A computing system may cause fixedly-posed projectors to each provide, onto a respective area of the environment, a predetermined respective distinct pattern. The system may determine respective poses of the projectors, and further determine a map of the environment that identifies, for each distinct pattern, respective locations on one or more surfaces in the environment on which the distinct pattern is detectable. Based on sensor data the system may identify a portion of a particular distinct pattern in the environment. The system may use the map and the respective pose of a particular projector that is providing the particular pattern to make a determination that the portion is located at a new, different location compared to the map. The system may then transmit an output signal indicating the determination.